Unexpected Christmas Surprise
Christmas didn’t go as planned.
Like the other holidays and special occasions in 2020, I wanted to make Christmas special for my family. It was also Major’s first Christmas so it had to be a memorable time for everyone. So, I purchased family pajamas for our Christmas photo, we were going to be elves! And we sent Makai ahead with my parents so he could begin enjoying his Winter break with his cousin. The plan was for Marcus, Major and I to join him four days later.
Then, Sunday, December 20, 2020 came and all my Christmas plans blew up in an instant. Why? Superman tested positive for COVID-19.
The next day, everyone else got tested and received negative results. Thank God.
Still, I decided to stay in town and be with Superman. Although his symptoms were mild, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him home alone if things took a turn for the worst and I wasn’t with him. So, I prepared my home for a quarantined Christmas and cared for Superman, while still caring for Major.
While Superman has his own testimony of what he experienced (maybe I can get him to share it one day!), what I experienced on the other side is worth mentioning. And I wish I could tell you it was easy because I have a relationship with Christ. I wish I could tell you I didn’t worry about Superman every night because of the COVID stories I’d heard and the statistics I’d read. I wish I could tell you that every day of his quarantine didn’t feel like I was holding my breath and I didn’t breathe again until he received his first negative test. But I can’t. It was hard. And yet, the only way I survived is because I have a relationship with Christ.
Although this experience was unexpected, and definitely unwanted, it was a reminder of why I’m so grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, Superman’s healing wouldn’t have been guaranteed. Without Jesus, we could’ve had more positive tests in our household. Without Jesus, we wouldn’t have had the Spirit’s help in the suffering, through the suffering, and to redeem us from the suffering.
No, Christmas didn’t go as planned. But it was still a very Merry (lively) Christmas.